Is it worth upgrading from 3G to 4G?

There's lots of hype about 3G and 4G networks but do you understand exactly what these terms mean? While you may assume that 4G is a newer and better technology than 3G, just how much better is it?

4G wireless technology has been defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) by a set of standards known as the IMT-Advanced network. It states that the minimum speed of a 4G network is 100 Megabits per second for moving users and 1 Gigabit per second for stationary users. In layman's terms, this means 4G operates at a speed drastically higher than anything achievable by 3G networks. The only problem? There is no network on the market today which can achieve these speeds.

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You may ask yourself, then how can companies advertise 4G services without actually providing 4G services? The answer lies in the fact that they're using technologies that are predecessors to a true 4G network. In place of true 4G networks, wireless companies have been advertising networks which are faster than 3G, but not capable of achieving true 4G speeds. Examples of these networks include 4G-LTE and WiMAX. They're allowed by the ITU to label these pre-4G networks as 4G because they're promising drastic improvement in speed in years to come using the same technologies they're using now.

So, your next question is, is it worth upgrading your existing 3G plan to a currently available "4G" plan? Unfortunately, the answer isn't a clear cut yes or no. Mostly it depends on where you live, if you can get coverage in areas you normally travel to, and what you do with your device. If you primarily check your email and read articles on the internet, you won't notice much of a difference. If on the other hand, you regularly download large files including videos and images, an upgrade to a pre-4G system may be just what you're looking for. Check out coverage locations for Verizon 4G and AT&T 4G to see if you live and work in areas that can get the faster service.